


Four Hearts as One

by pfieffer



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Canonical Child Abuse, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 10:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14932769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pfieffer/pseuds/pfieffer
Summary: "The strength of evil is good as none, when stands before it four hearts as one"Villain Kids just defy all sorts of stereotypes don't they?





	Four Hearts as One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not edited cause I am horrible

Magic did not exist on the isle. That’s not to say expressions of magic were inexistent, those were seen all over, if you knew what to look for. The less than natural hair colors of some of the isle’s inhabitants, the changing of eye colors. These remnants, that really had no true power in them were just expressions of latent magic within a person. That magic included soulmate magic. On the Isle people certainly had soulmates, but their marks were faint and often impossible to make out. Most didn’t care about the marks, it didn’t matter anyone, love was a taboo subject on the Isle. However there were a few, about half the population that hid this soulmarks because having them made them seem weaker than they already were. If you were a child you were hiding your soulmark the moment you saw it.

 

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Evie saw her faded grey soulmark the morning of her fifth birthday. She knew what it was, she was a smart girl after all. Her mother had talked to her about them, taught them that they were both a gift and a curse. Her mother’s was something to be admired, it was small, but not too small, in just the perfect place on the inside of her wrist. It was perfect, and her mother always told her this.

 

“Mommy, look,” the little girl said proudly presenting her wrist to her mother. Her soulmark was there plain as day. Evie was bursting with pride, a smile graced her face, and that was a rare sight for anyone on the Isle. She had heard her mom talk about soulmarks, so to get one, it had to be good, it was something her mother could surly be proud of.

 

Now it was important to note, what Evie was seeing wasn’t even her full soulmark, it couldn’t have been because the barrier stopped magic. What was on Evie’s skin was just what her own latent magic pushed through. So she proudly showed her mom her wrist.

 

Thick, but long fingers curled around it slowly, these hands had once been thin and lovely, they still had remnants of The Evil Queen’s younger days, but age was taking its toll. The Evil Queen knew that she would become that old hag that tricked Snow White. So for now she would be the prettiest on the Isle for as long as possible. Wrinkles could never be seen. She yanked at Evie’s arm and tilted her head, then twisted the girl’s thing but delicate arm. “It’s--- something,” she said.

 

She flung the girl’s arm away, and Evie went to staring at it. The Evil Queen who had been indifferent, sneered. Evie didn’t notice, she was too busy looking at it, trying to figure out why her mother was so displeased. It may not have been a full mark, but it wasn’t ugly to look at. It was actually quite pleasant. It looked similar to a vein on her wrist. Evie thought it was beautiful, though most things about herself she thought was beautiful despite what her mother said. Evie knew she was pretty.

 

Her mother scoffed, and grabbed Evie’s wrist again, “Look its off center, its faint, and its not even your full mark. It will never be perfect.” The only reason the Evil Queen had her full one, or any adult on the Isle did was because the magic of the soulmarks had already shown them their full mark. Once you had the full mark it did not go away.

 

As the flaws were pointed out, the pride Evie felt dwindled, her shoulders slumped, and she seemed to deflate a little. How could she be perfect, if her soulmark, the most permanent thing on her was not perfect? “Don’t frown Evie, and don’t slouch, no daughter of mine will have bad posture.”

 

Evie sucked her stomach in, and held her shoulders back in order to comply with her mother’s commands. She also fixed her face, she wasn’t frowning anymore, but she also wasn’t smiling, it was something right in between. Her mother looked her over, and nodded, “Good enough to go out, but the day was wasted on that thing,” she pointed to Evie’s wrist.

 

Evie did everything she could to not deflate again. After all she couldn’t be corrected twice, she just couldn’t. “Don’t slouch, Evie!” her mother said her voice raising, the little five year old stood up board straight. She had some time she could make it all better, she knew she could. Evie watched as her mother’s eyes went down to her wrist again, her mother’s perfect wrinkle-free face had disappointment written all over it. Evie could tell, it was a certain way her mother’s eyes got.

 

“Come along, we’re going to take care of that,” there was no need to tell Evie what her mother was talking about. It was obvious. Her daughter had to appear perfect, and with an imperfect soulmark that could never happen. So they walked.

 

The clack, clack, clack of the Evil Queen’s shoes, were followed by the lighter steps of the lower heals of her daughters. The Evil Queen may be creative in her methods, but she knew to wear heals you had to be trained right, you had to get used to them, and that started little by little. By Evie’s next birthday the girl would be in heals that teenagers would be jealous of, and Evie would be able to walk in them too.

 

The Castle was large, especially for the Isle, it rivaled only one other structure on the Isle itself, and that was Hell Hall which was just across the way. Both houses were large, and they were both a ways away from society, which did not bother the Evil Queen at all. She did lament about what the fumes from Cruella’s car would do to her skin, and at a lesser extent Evie’s skin, but that was the least of the once feared woman’s worries right now.

 

She lead her small daughter through the winding hallways of the castle, and ended in a room. A room where she kept a few possessions. It was a bare room save for the few things from her past that she placed in here. It was where her more magical possessions were kept. The frame from her mirror, which lacked a mirror. The box that was supposed to hold the heart of snow white was placed on a vanity, the dagger she gave to the huntsman was in Auradon, those heroes were thieves. But what she was after was jewelry.

 

“Evie, come here,” Evie stepped into the room, looking around. She had never seen this room before. She didn’t dare touch anything in it. While she was naturally curious, she knew better. Not to mention something about this room just felt dark. There was a cloud over it, a shroud that seemed to not exist anywhere else on the Isle, or at least that Evie had ever felt. Then again, she was only allowed outside of the house for a few hours a day, she had to make sure her skin, and hair stayed in perfect, healthy condition, and too much sun would ruin both.

 

She walked closer to her mother, who was looking around in the vanity. “Mommy?” she asked.

 

Her mother turned to her, her usually poised face, had a smirk on it. It was one that not only would cause no wrinkles, but it was the look she got when she was planning something. The Evil Queen looked quite young when she was being evil to her daughter, as sad as it was. Her mother was holding a gold bracelet, with a red ruby on it. “Give me your wrist.”

 

Evie held out her hand.

 

“No not that one, you stupid girl, the one with your mark on it.” Evie switched hands she was holding out to her mother. Her mother then placed the bracelet onto Evie’s wrist. “You are never to take this off?”

 

Evie tilted her head in confusion, scrunching her face together in confusion wasn’t allowed and she had learned a while ago to not do that. “It will hide your mark, do not take this bracelet off Evie. Do you understand.”

 

Evie nodded, “Yes mommy.”

 

Evie never did take the bracelet off, eventually she couldn’t.

 

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Jay looked down one day and saw his soulmark. It was nothing more than a line. A faint grey line, in all honesty it looked like a scar, and when people asked him about it that is what he told them. The stories he told with each person who asked were crazier each time, and they were always different.

 

One of his closest confidants, because friends didn’t exist on the Isle, was Mal. She had asked him at least 4 times, and she got different stories each time. Mal hated not being told the truth,  but the problem was, if one of the stories was the truth she couldn’t figure out which one it was.

 

The reason why Jay’s stories were so convincing was because he was a good liar, it was a skill, that along with pick pocketing was honed by Jafar. Jay was useful for two things for the man, getting merchandise for his shop, and getting more money that wasn’t necessarily from revenue from his shop.

Jay had more uses than that, Mal saw that, even though they were young, Mal saw that Jay was useful, and it was something that she would likely take advantage of. After all she had to be the best, which meant the best thief on the Island had better be on her good side.

 

Jay liked being aligned with Mal it kept him away from home longer. He hated going home, it was just disappointment after disappointment for his father. Nothing was ever good enough, nothing he brought home was what his father was looking for. And after a while not only did he disappoint his father, but he disappointed himself. No kid should be disappointed in themselves, but most days when Jay went home that was the case.

 

Jay came across to most people on the Isle as tis confident person. He was confident, deep down, it was in his genes, or it had to be. He didn’t really care that much about genes, or science, or anything that dealt with school really. Not that he did bad, but it just wasn’t important to him, not when he had other things to worry about. So he came across as confident.

 

But Jay was a really good actor. As confident as he could be, as confident as people saw him, whether he was taking their things or not, he wasn’t that confident. He always knew he could not only improve his methods, but what he brought home. He could bring home better things if he was better. He could please his father If he was better.

 

Jafar however was incredibly hard to please. If it wasn’t a lamp, if it wasn’t a lamp with a genie in it, it just did nothing. His father had seen inside the Cave of Wonders, his father new treasure, his father new wealth. His father was arguably one of the more powerful villains on the Isle, if status before the Isle had anything to do with it. But as was the way of the Isle, status from before meant nothing.

 

Villains had to recreate themselves, and Jafar did that with his son. Jafar was going to take what was good about Aladdin, the little street rat side of him, and what was great about himself, everything, and he was going to push that all onto his son. He had varying degrees of success. The most successful was the theft, but that was never good enough. His son just did not have the eye for the good things to steal.

 

Jay came home he actually had a cut a lip, in seeing this Jafar sighed, “What happened to you, you are supposed to win fights?”

 

“It wasn’t a fight,” he said, the young kid, who already had so many confidence issues, and this was not helping, at the young age of five and a half.

 

“Oh then what was it, what made you cut your lip?” Jafar challenged the little boy. “How did you fail today?”

 

Jay deflated, Iago squawked from his perch, and Jay gave the bird a murderous look. Even if the bird couldn’t talk it still was too annoying for its own good. “I got hit.”

 

“So you just bumped into someone and that happened. I taught you to be a liar Jay, and you can’t even do that right now. Perhaps I now know why you can’t bring back anything of true worth.”

 

Jay huffed, “I did not bump into someone.”

 

“So it was a fight.”

 

Jay shook his head, this conversation was pointless. He didn’t understand why Jafar even cared that he had a split lip, it wasn’t like the man cared before. All that Jafar cared about was worth of things. And Jay hadn’t brought much of worth today, he knew that, but the thing he had been after that would have certainly made his father proud is the reason he had a split lip. His father should be focused on his haul, or lack thereof.

 

“It wasn’t a fight.”

 

“Then what was it?” He leaned forward, sure Jafar may have gotten a bit fatter over the years, a bit of a beer belly, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t tall. When he leaned from his waste, and gave a look, an eyebrow raised, it was still just as menacing.

 

Jay swallowed, “I was caught trying to lift something off a girl.”

 

Jafar didn’t do anything for a minute before glaring out his son, and then laughing. “Not only did you get caught but a girl did this to you. Tell me which was girl, Maleficent’s daughter, she can fight I am sure of it.”

 

Jay avoided his father’s gaze now, something that was actually quite rare. Jay was known for looking people in the eye, it is what made his thieving and lies a bit more effective. But he wasn’t looking at his father as he shook his head, “No it was, the Evil Queen’s Little girl.”

 

Jafar laughed, but it died down slowly, in a way that did not a good sign. A silence settled, and it made Jay feel uncomfortable. “And what did you fail to get?” Jafar asked, Iago the fat bird had flown over, and was now rested on Jafar’s shoulder.

 

“Her bracelet, it is solid gold, with a ruby on it.”

 

Jafar was silent for a minute, and then he beckoned Jay to him. Jay knew what he meant. He put his hand up, and Jafar slapped it. Jay sighed, as Jafar told him, “You get it next time, not go restock the shelves, and remember I do not care if you cannot reach them, you restock them!” he went to the back room, and Jay was left in the shop, going to restock the shelves, even if that meant climbing them to the ceiling. Climbing would become second nature to Jay eventually, he just wished he could enjoy it a bit more. Doing anything for his dad took the fun out of things.

 

 

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Everyone knew about Evie’s 6thbirthday party. And according to Evie, everyone had been invited. According to Mal, everyone had been invited but her. At least that was the story she told her mom, and it was true. Parties were a taboo subject with Maleficent, especially if Maleficent was originating them, or they were her idea. And her daughter was the exact same. Mal waited for an invitation and none came. It wasn’t fair. Mal made this completely know.

 

Two weeks passed and Maleficent grew angry that her daughter had not been invited to the brat’s birthday. Mal just smirked, out of anger, or some other reason no one knew, every time it was brought up, which was plenty because not only did everyone talk about it, but Mal stormed around making it known that she was unhappy about not being invited. “She invited Cruella’s little baby kid.” Mal shouted only adding to the list of reasons to hate Evie.

 

Maleficent looked at her six year old daughter, “Isn’t he the one that you got locked in that hags fur closet with, and he came out with blood on his leg?”

 

Mal nodded.

 

Maleficent smiled, “Well at least you hurt him the worthless thing. But if that thing is gonna be at a party with everyone else, then what is that Mal?”

 

“The last straw!” the six year old nearly shouted in anger.

 

Maleficent nodded, with a smirk on her face, “That’s my girl.”

 

The whole Isle had been buzzing with Evie’s birthday party, orders were made to various shops, Lucifer’s litter had been scooped up. Many things were happening all at once. The day was nearing and as the day got closer Mal’s moved only got worse and worse and worse. It didn’t help that the morning of Evie’s birthday party a stupid light grey X appeared on her wrist. She groaned, she knew what it was. She didn’t tell her mom because she knew exactly what to do about it. Ignore it, and hide it. So she took a permanent marker, and wrote the words ‘Long Live Evil’ on her wrist. No soulmark was going to bring her down.

 

Maleficent beckoned her down the stairs and presented her with a jacket, that was too big, but had a high collar. “If you are going to make an entrance you have to do it right, and since you still are too dependent on me, I’m giving you this. Don’t let me down tonight.” Mal nodded taking the jacket.

 

Evie’s party would be ruined if Mal had anything to do with it. She was going to get justice, and Maleficent was going to show everyone what happened when you excluded her, or her offspring to a party.

 

“Is it time yet?” Mal asked as the day grew on, and night time hit. The party could be heard from the Bargain Castle. It was a loud buzz, the streets were empty because everyone was at the party.

 

“You cannot rush your entrance Mal. People remember the last thing they see. We go when the party ends.”

 

The six year old pursed her lips, and nodded. She may be evil, but she was six, and waiting was hard. In fact being patient was her least favorite things. She kind of understood that this technically good trait could be used for bad, but she hated it. She wanted to give Evie a piece of her mind. She wanted to give an Isle a piece of her mind. She and her mom were in charge.

 

Mal waited on the balcony on the Bargain Castle, bored, she was picking at the stone trying to make a dent in it, because why not. Maleficent came out to get her, “Its time.”

 

Mal stood up, he face in an angry pout. She was going to get her revenge. The little girl followed her mother out and they walked to the street that housed Hell Hall, and Evie’s Castle.

 

“I’m here,” Maleficent called, no one seemed to pay her any mind. Her eyes flashed green in annoyance.

 

Mal step forward, eyes green already, “Hey!” she shouted getting the attention of everyone nearby but it wasn’t enough. “We’re here!” she shouted louder and everyone looked their way. Mal preened, Maleficent looked annoyed, apparently that was not the way to make an entrance, but it got their attention.

 

The Evil Queen, followed by Evie came forward. The queen spoke, “Oh, Maleficent, Mal I wasn’t aware you’d be here.”

 

Evie looked at her mom in confusion.

 

Mal spoke, “And why not?” she said crossing her arms trying to look as intimidating as any six year old could. She got no answer.

 

Maleficent looked at her daughter to the Evil Queen, “Well answer the child.”

 

Evie spoke up, like the perfect little hostess she was “Perhaps your invitation got lost.”

 

Mal huffed, “Or you didn’t invite me.”

 

Evie spoke again, “No, no I’m sure it got lost.”

 

Maleficent’s lips were pursed, “Oh shut up.” Mal didn’t speak again, Evie’s mouth shut with a click. She turned to the Evil Queen, “Now listen here, I know you didn’t invite Mal on purpose, and I am going to show you,” her voice grew louder, “Show everyone, what happens when you decide to go against me!”

 

Mal was smirking, Evie looked like she was about to cry. Everything was going to be perfect.

 

“From this moment forward,” Maleficent began, “You and that brat you call a daughter are banished. You’re faces won’t be seen, and if they are, I will show you just what evil can be done on this god forsaken rock. I don’t need magic to curse you both mark my words.”

 

The Evil queen did nothing, and Evie had tears running down her face smearing her makeup. Only she would have makeup on as a six year old.

 

“Well,” Mal said, “Why are you still standing here, go, you’re banished,” she yelled right in Evie’s face.

 

Evie spared a glance at her mother, who was already pulling her along back in the house, it wasn’t good to challenge Maleficent, especially when you weren’t prepared. They got to the castle entrance, and the Evil Queen scoffed at her daughter, “I can’t believe the last they will see of you is that smeared makeup, we’ll have to fix that.”

 

Mal smirked far too pleased with herself. Maleficent looked at everyone, “Well shoo, the party is over, it failed, no one should ever talk about it again.”

 

Mal looked around the first person she saw leave, well she really only saw a flash of white hair, the De Vil baby then. People were grabbing bags, party favors. Apparently they were baby animals from all the evil sidekicks that were banished to the Isle as well. Mal bristled, she should have said something about that. Maleficent noticed.

 

When the street finally went back to normal, Maleficent looked at her daughter, “We will get them all back in no time.”

 

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10 years passed since Evie’s party. 10 years is a long time. Most people forgot about it, the only memories were the pets that people got as gift bags that lived long enough. Carlos de Vil, had one of those pets. He had a cat named Beelzebub. It lived out doors in the back yard, because only a stupid person would bring something living with fur on it, inside his house. She took up residence in Carlos’ treehouse, and was Carlos’ best friend.

 

The boy was bullied relentlessly in school. He was bullied at home, he found solace in machines and technology. He was working on a school assignment, a bucket that dispensed soap automatically.

 

“Pet!” was screeched through the house.

 

He flinched, and then side, and left his project on the floor in the corner so it was out of the way. He sighed and made his way to wherever his mother was. “Yes mother?” he asked walking into the room but only slightly his head down.

 

“My roots need touching up,” she looked at his own hair which showed his own roots very clearly.

 

He nodded, he removed his leather fingerless gloves, and didn’t bother putting anything else on. His hands were already scarred from bleach and other chemicals. He grabbed the bleach for her hair and began mixing it up. His mother was already sitting on her chair at her vanity. After a few minutes Carlos began working on applying the dye to her roots.

 

He finished her hair with a sigh, and then went to wash the bleach out. Once that was done, he could go back to his school project. She grabbed his wrist though, nails digging in. She handed him a list. It was chores, it was more chores than normal. He knew better than to complain. If he did it would certainly get worse for him. But he wished he knew what he did to piss her off this time. He knew she was mad to give him that many more chores to be done by morning.

 

He left her room, and went on to do the list of chores she gave him. Some he had already done today. And he had no desire to do them again, but Harry and Jace had been hanging around more than usual. And if he didn’t do all the things on her list, they would tell their dads, and then Horace and Jasper would go to Cruella, and he would be in trouble. Whenever he didn’t do her list entirely no matter what was written on it the standard punishment was an hour in the dog kennel that was in the foyer for however many chores he did not do. He had no desire for that to happen. He had gone a month without being in the crate, he was looking forward to keeping it that way.

 

He finished the list around the time he needed to make Cruella breakfast. No sleep tonight. But that was the least of his worries. He only had a half finished school project that was due today. He hated his life. He really did. So he made Cruella’s breakfast, and then went to try and finish his project, which he did by the time he was supposed to leave for school. Project in hand, and bag on his back he left the house in a hurry, not wanting to hear Cruella scrutinize his cooking, at least he cooked with the meager ingredients that he was able to gather. She could be starving, like he was most days.

 

School went as school usually does. Yen Sid showed that Reza was incapable of even the simplest tasks except for maybe a vocabulary quiz, and he went to his seat in another class when a girl with blue hair tried to talk to him. He was working on his own personal project. He didn’t know who she was, but she had a strong scent of apples, and it actually wasn’t terrible, it didn’t hurt his nose like most scents did. But he was too focused on his project to pay her any mind. She sat down next to him, he felt his fingers twitch slightly, this was a change, and he wasn’t sure how he was with it. Then she mentioned something, and his head popped up, “You really think that will work?” he asked looking at the mess of wires that she had pointed out. She nodded.

 

They talked lightly the rest of class, and when class ended she stuck by him, which was incredibly stupid on her part. She was not doing well at picking allies or minions, after all he had none of those, except for Harry and Jace, but they were an exception to the whole thing.

 

Mal however seemed to be upset for some reason. And then Carlos remembered, the party. It all clicked in his head, and he was also now on Mal’s bad side, by association with Evie. He groaned as he walked with the girl back to their home since they were adjacent to each other. She looked at him, not fully frowning, but she seemed worried, “What’s the matter?”

 

He shrugged, he had to think of a lie because there was no way he was going to tell her the truth, “Just thinking of all the chores I’ll have to do when I get home. I left before my mom could even eat her breakfast so she might be mad about what I cooked.”

 

She gave Carlos a worried look, “Is that why she puts you in the crate?”

 

Carlos froze. He felt himself shutting down. That was not what Cruella treated him like that, she had a different punishment for bad meals. But it’s not like Evie needed to know that. He kept on walking leaving Evie alone, this day had only gotten worse.

 

Unfortunately the day was just the beginning of a slew of days that Carlos wishes would have never happened. And it all ended with the party that Mal was forcing him to throw. If it weren’t for Cruella being away, Harry and Jace helping him, and Diego coming to the rescue for entertainment, Carlos would be doing worse than just being on Mal’s bad side.

 

The party was going, and then it went bad when Mal locked Evie in his mother’s fur closet, and his room. He tried to remind Mal of what happened last time someone besides only him was locked in his mom’s fur closet, but she didn’t seem to care. Carlos had to come to Evie’s rescue, and he showed her his room, because there was nothing else to do as they left the closet the back way. Evie looked appalled. He had a mat on the ground, no blanket and no pillow. He shrugged it off.

 

After a moment, he asked, “Do you want to see what I was working in class the other day?” Evie hadn’t answered and he finally added, “We’ll get away from Mal, and Jay.”

 

“You don’t keep it in your--- room, do you?” She asked.

 

He shook his head. When they came out of Cruella’s room, Mal and Jay were gone, and Carlos was thankful for that. He lead Evie out of the back of the house, in the back yard, to the old oak tree that was dead, but still sanding.

 

Carlos reached up, his arm hit fishing line, and a ladder fell down. Evie looked impressed, he smirked. And made his way up. At the top he turned around and looked down to make sure Evie was following. He gave her a hand and pulled her through the hole on the ground of the treehouse, that was much large than it actually appeared. Carlos pulled the rope ladder up, he took no chances.

 

He pointed to a black box, “I think its ready.”

 

Evie turned to him, “Is that what you were working on in class.” He nodded, and then she asked, “Well what does it do?”

 

He looked around, not like anyone was there to actually say or do anything, but he just had to make sure. “With any luck, I’ll open the barrier.”

 

“Open the barrier!” she exclaimed.

 

Carlos moved to put a hand on her mouth, “Not so loud! We can’t let anyone know, besides my mom might not be here, but I swear she hears things.”

 

Evie nodded, and Carlos removed his hand. “Do you want to open the barrier so you can escape?” she asked.

 

Carlos’ gaze hardened, yes he wanted to escape, but that was not what he wanted to open the barrier. He wasn’t weak, he could handle himself, handle Cruella. He didn’t need to escape her, she was his mom after all. “I want to open the barrier so I can have more TV channels. I know there are more, I want to see what is on them.”

 

Evie looked at him, and perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised, “But the barrier is magic.”

 

“And magic is a frequency, just like everything else. This machine can match that frequency.”

 

“Like a radio.”

 

Carlos nodded and looked at her, “Do you want to see if it works?”

 

She nodded. Carlos walked over to the little black box, and flipped a switch, for a moment nothing happened. He looked to Evie heartbroken, and then he was forced back, a blast from the object shook the treehouse. A small beam broke through the roof, and then through the barrier. Through the hole in the roof Evie and Carlos could see the barrier open up. The TV that was on a shelf turned on, and started flipping through multiple channels that had never existed on the Isle before. The hole was only in the barrier a second, before it closed again. He looked at Evie, “We tell no one.”

 

She nodded, Evie was smart, she may have been castleschooled but she was smart, just as Carlos was. They both knew what could happen to Carlos if anyone found out he broke the barrier.

 

Carlos didn’t have any magic himself, it was why he saw the whole thing like a frequency, he had talked to Yen Sid about it, and even done his own research in the meager books he could get his hands on. With no latent magic in him, he never had to worry about a soulmark, at least his mother could not fault him for that, like she did so many other things.

 

But the day the barrier opened magic came in, radio waves came in. Things happened. If Carlos got a few more freckles that were slightly darker than the others on his wrist, he never noticed. Why would he, they were just freckles.

 

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After the barrier had opened a lot of things happened. Evie almost was put into a super long sleep, Mal showed she had a heart, Jay found confidence in his ability to protect, and Carlos admitted that his mother didn’t love him. Not everything could be good, it was the Isle after all.

 

“I have news” Maleficent said, walking up to the four of them as they had just caused mischief, and were about to go get something to eat.

 

Mal looked at her mom, her friends cowered away, well Jay didn’t, but Jay and Mal had a history together. They were friends long before even Evie had been banished. “News?” she asked unimpressed, what kind of news? News could mean anything, the last time Maleficent had news, Mal had to go around gathering up the right people to get Maleficent’s staff.

 

“You four have been chosen to go to Auradon,” Maleficent said.

 

Their faces dropped. “What!” Mal exclaimed, but it went unheard.

 

“Go pack your bags, you leave at noon,” Maleficent said, and turned snapping her fingers, as Mal rolled her eyes to follow her.

 

The other three dispersed not looking that happy, though they should be happy, after all they were going to Auradon it was a dream come true. Mal thought the exact opposite and she made that known to her mother, “I am not going.” She stated the moment they were inside the walls of the bargain castle.

 

Maleficent looked at her daughter, her eyes were dangerously close to flashing green, she was always ready to challenge her daughter and win. “You don’t have a choice. You will go, and you will steal Fairy Godmother’s wand. And you will take down this barrier for good. We will rule, and I will get revenge on every person who decided to banish me, and take from what is rightfully mine!”

 

Mal looked at her mom, her face not showing any sort of emotion. After a moment she let out a huff, and sighed, “Fine, I’ll go.”

 

Maleficent looked at her daughter, “Of course you will.”

 

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Jay had split off from Evie and Carlos, they were talking in hushed tones to each other. He got that they were friends before all this. He would even call them friends because despite what the two said, they were friends.

 

Jay went to his father’s shop, and didn’t even get to get in the door fully, “What did you bring?” he asked.

 

Jay began unloading his pockets, and Jafar looked on, not pleased with anything that Jay brought. Iago squaked.

 

“You will have to do better,” Jafar said while pulling out a letter from Auradon. It was the decree that said he was going to Auradon. So it was real, Maleficent was just lying, she hadn’t lost it like Cruella either.

 

He took a breath, “And I will, in Auradon.”

 

“You’re right you will, you have no other choice. With the power of Fairy Godmother’s wand I will be unstoppable, even the wish from Aladdin will not be able to control me. I will have ultimate power. You will get it for me.”

 

Jay nodded. “I won’t let you down.” He would make his father proud. He was good at stealing, it was a piece of magical wood, it should be easy.

 

Jafar handed him a carpet bag, and Jay packed the few belongings he had. He had more than Carlos, he knew that, and he definitely had less than Mal, and even though he hadn’t really known Evie too terribly long he was pretty sure all three of Gaston’s kids were smart enough to know that everyone had less than her.

 

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Evie and Carlos were whispering to each other. Carlos was on the verge of breaking down. He couldn’t leave, not just because of the dogs, but there were other reasons to. Evie caught on, she had a way to calm him down.

 

“Let’s go see Dizzy.” She finally said when Carlos no longer was clenching his fists.

 

Carlos looked at her and frowned, “Do we have to?” he asked. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to see her. It was the exact opposite, if his mom even let him go to Auradon, which was not something that was likely to happen, he did not want to have to say good bye to the little girl.

 

“Yes, we have to.” She insisted. Evie knew Dizzy first. They met because Curl up and Dye was the only place that the Evil Queen trusted to get her done. They also had a relationship because Evie’s not to be named party, helped a bit with the problem of Lucifer’s litter. Dizzy and Evie were close, Carlos met the young girl later, and they grew close as well. For different reasons from her Evie. Carlos and Dizzy connected because of Dizzy’s grandmother treating her like a servant, and his mother’s own treatment of him, but also because he let Dizzy dye his hair. She also taught him a better way to mix bleach so he could stop ruining his hands with scars when he did it for his mom.

 

The two walked together to the store, and ignored the sign of when its opening hours were. “Dizzy,” Evie called.

 

“Evie!” the girl called out, and ran from where she was sweeping to hug Evie. Carlos poked his head around Evie then, and Dizzy moved her attention to him, but didn’t hug him, she in fact didn’t let go of Evie for a minute, “Carlos!”

 

“Hey Dizzy,” he greeted.

 

“Are you here for more bleach for your mom’s hair, its not time to get yours redone yet. And Evie do I need to redo the braids?”

 

Carlos and Evie looked at each other, and then faced Dizzy. Their faces said it all. Dizzy’s smile turned into an expression of concern. “What’s going on?”

 

Carlos looked to Evie for help, because he was useless int his type of situation. Small talk, and talk with Mal, Evie, and Jay was hard enough some times. Dizzy was good at filling the air with conversation so he didn’t have to talk. But this was different.

 

“Dizzy, Carlos and I--- we’re not going to be visiting anymore.” She said getting down on Dizzy’s level, she was squatting with her knees together, that way none of her clothing got on the floor and got dirty. Not that the floor was dirty with how much Dizzy swept, but it was. No amount of cleaning on the Isle could actually get things clean. Dizzy and Carlos knew that.

 

Dizzy looked confused, “What--- why?”

 

Carlos frowned, and sighed, this was painful, and he wasn’t even doing the talking. It was this reason exactly that he didn’t want to come down. Dizzy was too full of hope and wonder still. Evie sighed and took the girl’s hands in her own, “We’re going to Auradon.”

 

Evie was definitely going to Auradon, there were prince’s there. Carlos, well if his mother was in a really really good mood he would. But his mother’s mood was about as consistent as the water in the ocean. It wasn’t.

 

Dizzy’s eyes lit up, “Really?” She looked to Evie and then to Carlos, who nodded. “You’ll have to tell me all about it.”

 

Evie nodded, “I will.” She stood up, “See you Dizzy,” she called out and headed outside, Carlos gave a wave and followed after her.

 

When they exited the shop and made their way to where their mother’s lived Carlos gave Evie a look, “That was exactly why I didn’t want to see her.”

 

Evie sighed, “But it was the right thing to do. Don’t even try to lie and say that doesn’t matter here, Carlos.”

 

Carlos opened his mouth, and promptly shut it. She was right. Of course she was. They came upon the street in which both of their houses loomed. Evie’s Germanic castle, and Cruella’s Victorian mansion, that was once a huge estate. He sighed, “Wish me luck,” he said as he headed off.

 

Evie kept her head high as she made her way into her mother’s castle, who flocked to her immediately holding the decree. “We must pack everything, and fix that terrible make up.”

 

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Carlos walked into his mother’s house, she was nowhere to be seen, and that worried him. Her car was out front so she was here. But he couldn’t hear her. He hated when he couldn’t hear her, he depended on that cue so many times.

 

He made his way through the foyer, and wondered if he could get away with leaving. He didn’t need much. The clothes he did have, that Evie helped make were still in the bag she gave them to him in. three shirts, an extra jacket, and two pair of shorts, a second pair of gloves, and socks. Carlos already owned a second pair of boots, though they were big and gave him blisters, so he dealt with ones that were too small, but didn’t hurt his feet as much. A trash bag, so Cruella wouldn’t think anything of it. He would only need the pillow she gave him, and the blanket she gave him. He could make this work.

 

He was passing the sitting room when Cruella beckoned to him, “Carlos, come here.”

 

Carlos sighed, she was sitting, being still, and smoking a cigarette, of course he didn’t hear her. He swallowed and followed her order, because he knew better than to disobey. “You are not going.”

 

He wondered how she knew, but then he saw the decree on the table. “Yes mother,” he said like he had already lost the battle.

 

“You wouldn’t want to go, there are dogs there that will eat you alive if they just get one whiff of your scent.”

 

Carlos looked up, his face had gone pale, he hated dogs. They terrified him, and as much as he tried to keep it a secret, everyone on the isle knew about it. “Really?”

 

“Yes, yes, don’t you ever listen, you stupid pet!” she yelled, flicking ash of her cigarette onto the floor. Carlos always listened, but he didn’t correct her. “That is why dogs are best made into fur coats, they can’t eat you if they are dead.”

 

She looked at Carlos and then at the her cigarette which she had already gone through. She blew some smoke in his face, he took his jacket off, rolled up the short sleeve of the shirt he was wearing, and she put it out on him. He only winced for a little bit. He knew the drill. He rolled the sleeve back down, and put his jacket back on.

 

“Besides, I can’t get rid of you, you are needed here. Horace and Jasper can’t do what you can.” She placed a hand in his hair and began running her fingers through it, and pulled Carlos closer to her. “You will act like you are going to go, do you understand, but if you do,” she gripped his hair tightly pulling on it, pulling some of it out, and he winced in pain. He didn’t move his hand to rub the sore spot on his head, he knew better. “Now clean all this up, then go get ready. And remember the plan, like a good pet.” He gulped and nodded.

 

He did not care one bit about her plan. He cleaned up the ash on the ground, and the discarded cigarette and went to go get his bag, he stuffed the pillow, and blanket in it, and it still only partially filled up the black trash bag. He sighed. He was making his own plan.

 

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All four of them, and their parents were at the Bargain castle. It was a few minutes before they were supposed to be picked up. Carlos looked terrified standing next to his mom, who was continuously petting his hair, like he was a dog. Evie tried not to look at him because she once thought that he was a dog because of what she heard Cruella yell, now it just made her feel ill, not to mention her mother was telling her things she needed to fix about her makeup. Mal didn’t care, she had pulled a trunk down from her room. And Jay was handing over the last bit of things he was able to steal, all while Jafar was frowning and shaking his head.

 

“You are all here not just to wait for these brats to be taken away, but so I can tell you all we are going to get off this rock.” Maleficent began. Everyone’s attention was on Maleficent now. Evie would occasionally glance in the mirror to make sure she had taken her mother’s tips into consideration, and Cruella still ran her hands through Carlos’ hair, but they were all paying attention now.

 

“Mal is going to steal Fair Godmother’s wand,” she announced. Mal looked over the room, lips pursed, and nodded.

 

Jay looked to Jafar, he knew what his father was thinking, he had to get it first. And he would.

 

“When the wand is stolen, Mal will break the barrier, and I will be free, and will be able to rule Auradon. Since your brats are helping, I will ensure you get the revenge all of those do gooders deserve.”

 

The Evil Queen looked to Evie and then to Maleficent, she was on board, which was strange since the two hated each other. “Well if Evie is going to help, she will need help, goodness she needs it.” She handed Evie a shard of glass.

 

“What is this?” she asked looking into the reflective surface.

 

“What remains of my mirror, it still works, and it will work in Auradon. Use it, you may not have much of a brain, but use it.” Evie seemed to deflate, but it was only for a second and not noticeable to anyone.

 

Jay didn’t say anything, his father gripped his arm, and that was all he needed. He had to get the score. He simply nodded.

 

Eyes turned to Carlos and Cruella. “He’s not going,” she stated. “He’ll be useless there anyways.”

 

Carlos looked at his mom, then to the room, “And there are dogs.” The hand in his hair tightened, but he didn’t wince this time, he couldn’t show he was weak in front of everyone. He had to accept the pain and go on.

 

Mal looked from Carlos to Cruella, not buying that for one minute. And then Evie spoke up, “Of course he would, he broke the barrier before.”

 

Carlos froze, he didn’t even dare look at Evie, she knew what she did the moment she said it. She instead just looked in the mirror she had been given to hide whatever look she had on her face, because it certainly wouldn’t be one to please her mother.

 

Jay’s eyes narrowed, and Maleficent swooped down from her throne, and stood in front of Carlos. Maleficent may be short, but Carlos was still shorter, partially because of stunted growth due to various things such a as a poor diet. She scared him. His mother grabbed him tighter, and he wasn’t sure if it was out of protection, or possession. He figured the last. “And how pray tell did you do that?”

 

Carlos swallowed, he looked to Mal who he was fairly certain he was furious, Jay almost looked betrayed, and again he refused to look at Evie. He didn’t speak, he couldn’t, he felt his breathing starting to pick up. Cruella screeched in his ear, “Well go on, she gave you an order.”

 

Carlos’ breathing was still uneasy, “I---” he began wanting to lie, but unable to do so, his mom would know anyways, even though she didn’t know that he had broken the barrier. His mom wasn’t stupid, despite her words, she knew Carlos was smart. “I built a machine that did it.”

 

Maleficent rolled her eyes, “If you had told us sooner, think how much more we could have done. You are useless, at least your mother is right about that.”

 

Cruella laughed, and it hurt Carlos’ ears, but it kept his mind off of the fact that he almost had a panic attack. Then she began to speak, “He still isn’t going.”

 

Maleficent turned, “Of course he is.”

 

“No, I need him here, and if he is here, he can break the barrier again.” Cruella argued, “Just in case your plan does not work.”

 

Maleficent fumed, “Of course my plan will work.”

 

Mal stepped up finally, and looked Cruella dead in the eye, “I’m not useless like your kid, I can actually follow through with things.”

 

Mal was good at acting, and Carlos would never know if she meant those words. But they hurt none the less. He thought they were closer. They weren’t friends, because that word wasn’t used to describe the four of them, but Carlos at least thought they shared something. He was wrong.

 

Mal on the other hand was just trying to make this go smoothly. She noticed everyone’s looks, she noticed it all. She also didn’t miss how Carlos seemed even smaller after she spoke. She’d have to deal with that later.

 

Cruella huffed, and just pet Carlos even more furiously, she was also muttering something to the stole she wore. Carlos had to refrain from making any sort of noise, or he knew he would get the wrath of his mother. He was already expecting it, because if he wasn’t fast enough, he’d be stuck here.

 

After a moment of silence, where the Evil Queen was fixing her daughter’s hair for a minute Maleficent said, “Its noon. All of you, get out now.”

 

Carlos did not waste the opportunity, he grabbed his bag and ran. Evie was just behind him, as the Evil Queen called for servants to get her things. She then whispered to Evie, “Remember do not take your bracelet off, you know the rule.” Evie nodded.

 

Jay looked at his dad, “I won’t let you down.”

 

Jafar nodded, “No you will not.”

 

Mal looked at them all and then looked to her mother, who only nodded. Mal headed down herself.

 

Evie was first in the car, standing on the door, and Carlos was following after, he threw his bag in the trunk, and dove into the car, all as his mother yelled awful things. Evie followed in after him.

 

Jay was next, and Mal coolly stepped in her bag loaded into the trunk by the driver.

 

The door was closed, and they drove off. Cruella was going crazy, and Carlos opted to not look out the back window, and instead cover his ears. Evie looked at him “Carlos--- she can’t be heard anymore.”

 

Slowly Carlos removed his hands from his ears. He finally got to look around the car, it was a limo. His mother had talked about them. His mother said they were stupid, you either drove yourself, or paid someone to drive your own car. In front of him though was food, and his stomach growled. He was reaching out for something when Jay took it. He sighed, and Evie took something of her own, before saying, “Carlos, I shouldn’t have.”

 

Carlos gave her a look, “It was an accident.” He went to grab a brown disk thing.

 

Mal looked at them, “So it was true, you were the one who broke the barrier?”

 

Carlos nodded and then ignored whatever else Mal had to say, “This is the best thing ever, its sweet, and salty like nuts.” Jay grabbed the remainder of the disk that was in his hand and shoved it in his mouth laughing at Carlos’ annoyed expression.

 

Evie looked out the front window, and they were driving towards the broken bridge, “It’s a trap!” she yelled. Everyone panicked and they all went to grab onto each other. Of course it was a trap and they had been too stupid, and distracted to see it.

 

But then nothing happened.

 

The slowly untangled themselves. Carlos looked out the window, the were driving on air. Mal, Evie, and Jay saw the magic swirling around the car. “Its magic,” Mal stated.

 

“How did the barrier stop though,” Carlos said.

 

Mal looked at a remote that was on the seat next to her, she tapped the ledge that separated them from the driver of the limo, “Hey, did this open the barrier?” she asked.

 

The driver barely spared them a look from behind his glasses, he held up a golden button, “This opened the barrier, that opens my garage, and this…” he pressed a button that was on the ceiling of the limo, and a partition rose.

 

“Nasty,” she said with a smile filed with mirth, “I like him.”

 

It was only a few minutes more when Evie winced. Jay looked to her, “What is it?”

 

She looked at her wrist, the one she always wore her mom’s bracelet on. “My wrist burned for a second.”

 

Carlos’ brow furrowed, and Jay frowned, and looked at the bracelet that she had punched him over all those years ago. “Maybe it’s your soulmark coming in,” he suggested.

 

Everyone looked at Jay like he had grown three heads. “Well that was the last thing I expected you to say,” Mal commented.

 

Evie on the other hand, tried to move her bracelet, but she couldn’t, and she certainly couldn’t take it off her arm. The panic in her eyes, was only noticed by Carlos. He wouldn’t say anything about it now. “Who cares,” she said breathlessly laughing it off, and ate some more blue candy. “I am looking for a prince, not love.”

 

Jay gave her a look, and then went to raiding the candy with Carlos. Mal looked at them all, the could do this. They had to.

**Author's Note:**

> The Auradon peeps will be in the next chapter.


End file.
